"I wish to add a comment to what Frank Ferri
put about 'Christening Pieces'.

I'm sure our family used to call them
'Showers'. I remember well going to family Christenings in
Edinburgh as children. The christening party would be walking along
the road to the church and us kids were watching for the first boy or girl
to appear who would be getting the 'Christening Piece' as Frank calls it.

Although I live in Wigan Lancs, my father made
a bag of goodies up for the 'Christening Piece' and that was 1970. My
husband had never seen it before and the little boy who got the bag of
goodies wondered what was being given to him. He, no doubt, thought
it was his lucky day as this was not done down here in England.

That story brought back happy memories for
me."

Irene Day, Wigan, Lancashire, England: March 15, 2008

Answer

3.

Tony Ivanov

Bo'ness, West Lothian, Scotland

Thank you to Tony Ivanov who wrote

Christening Pieces

"I remember this tradition well. I think it
was a general Scottish tradition which seems to be now a thing of the
past. I certainly can't recall this happening in the last couple of
decades although I'm sure there will be some families who still do it."

'Pour Oots'

"Another tradition that seems to have faded
away is the 'pour out' at weddings. This is where the wedding party threw
out a handful of coins from the cars as they were leaving the church or
kirk.

It used to be quite an event when I was a
child. When the word got around of a wedding there was usually a
crowd of children waiting for the bride and groom after the ceremony, not
to see the happy couple, but to get stuck in at the scramble after the
money was thrown out.

It could be quite a profitable Saturday
morning depending on how generous the wedding party was."

NOTE: Others have also mentioned 'Poor Oots' in their recollections of
Lochend and
Dumbiedykes in Edinburgh

Peter Stubbs: June 21, 2008

Tony added

Traditions

"A tradition, by its definition, is a custom
or belief that is passed on through the generations. Eventually,
somewhere along the line traditions die out for various reasons.

I think as one gets older, such as myself, in
my sixties, we feel a sense of sadness that some traditions, however
trivial, are forgotten about.

Tony Ivanov,
Bo'ness, West Lothian, Scotland: June 19, 2008

'Pour Oots'

Others have also mentioned 'Poor Oots' in their recollections of
Lochend and
Dumbiedykes in Edinburgh

Answer

4.

Julie Peel

South Shields, South
Tyneside, England

Thank you to Julie Peel who wrote:

Christening Pieces

"I've just read the question about
Christening Pieces. I was also brought up
with the tradition of handing a 'Christening Bag' to the first opposite
sex child seen in the street. However, in
South Shields (South Tyneside) the tradition
was that the bag was given on the way to church.

I work with older people experiencing
dementia, and we are researching a project about traditions, whether they
continue, are dying out, or have seemingly gone forever."

Julie Peel, South Shields, South
Tyneside, England: August 2, 2009

Answer

5.

Jimmy Meikle

Leith. Edinburgh

Thank you to Jimmy Meikle who wrote:

Christening Pieces

"On the subject of Christening Pieces,
I remember the piece was given to the first child you met on the way to
the church always the opposite sex of the child being christened."

Poor-oots

"I remember the many
poor-oots,
particularly at the Smith Tearoom Halls on a
Saturday afternoon were many wedding receptions were held."

Jimmy Meikle, Leith, Edinburgh:
August 26, 2009

Answer

6.

Sherry Gormley

East Midlands, England
formerly Blyth, Northumberland, England

Thank you to Sherry Gormley who wrote:

Christening Pieces

"I read with interest, on the comments about
christening traditions. In my hometown the
tradition was similar, handing a gift bag
(called amyss? amiss?) to a child of the opposite sex on the way to the
church.

The bag contained :

- a coin to add riches to their life

- a candle to light their way through
life

- salt to add spice in their life

- a sweet or piece of cake to add
sweetness to their life.

Christening Pieces

Similarly on her wedding day, the bride would
throw out coins to waiting children on her way to church.

I continued these customs for my own children
up to 1986. Hopefully they will also carry these on"